The Covid vaccination drive for children aged between 15 and 18 in Chandigarh has slowed down considerably, as only 466 kids received the first or second dose in the past week on average.
According to the population projected by the central government, about 72,000 children in the age group are eligible for vaccination in Chandigarh. Since January 3, the UT health department has vaccinated 55,982 (78%) children with atleast the first dose of Covaxin and 8,391 (12%) are fully vaccinated. UT had initially aimed to vaccinate the entire eligible population by January 26.
In the past 10 days, only 12,344 children were jabbed in Chandigarh, with 8,391 of them getting the second dose and 3,953 getting the first dose. On Tuesday, 1,684 children were jabbed.
Yashpal Garg, UT health secretary, said, “Initially, the vaccination drive was getting good response and many children were coming forward to take the jab. Then, it slowed down, as some schools didn’t cooperate with the health department, as a result of which we had suspended vaccination camps in schools. Since schools were shut, not many children were visiting to take the jab.”
“We are now expecting a good response again as schools have reopened. The health department has again started setting up vaccination camps in private and government schools and 10 such camps are being organised daily,” Garg added.
{{/usCountry}}“We are now expecting a good response again as schools have reopened. The health department has again started setting up vaccination camps in private and government schools and 10 such camps are being organised daily,” Garg added.
{{/usCountry}}Garg added that so far, there is no plan to start door-to-door vaccination drives for children and the health department is focusing on inoculating them at schools.
Few takers for precautionary dose
Besides, not many people of priority groups, including frontline workers and senior citizens with co-morbidities, are coming forward to take the precautionary (third) dose.
Since January 10, only 3,246 healthcare workers (12% of the target), 4,883 frontline workers (22%), and 12,087 (77%) senior citizens (above the age of 60) with co-morbidities have taken the precautionary jab in UT.
As per officials, the healthcare workers are not taking the third dose as many of them got infected with the virus during the third wave.
“Since healthcare workers, frontline workers and co-morbid senior citizens are more vulnerable to getting infected, they should get vaccinated with the booster shot at the earliest,” said Garg.
Eligible adults already fully vaccinated
Chandigarh had on January 26 achieved its target of vaccinating 100% of its adult population with both doses. The Centre had set a target of 8.43 lakh adults to be immunised in Chandigarh. As of Tuesday, 10,77,189 (128%) people, including migrants, have taken their first shot in UT, while 8,54,201 (101%) have been fully vaccinated.
--------So far, the UT health department has vaccinated 78% children with the first dose while 12% are fully jabbed